Improvement in wheat-steaming apparatus



Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFIo JOHN BUBKHOLDER, OF OENTREBURG, OHI O.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHEAT-STEAMING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 199,690, dated January 29, 1878; application filed October 16, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN BURKHOLDER, of Oentreburg, in the county of Knox and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Wheat-Steaming Apparatus, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section on line a: as, Fig. 2, of my improved wheat-steaming apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus adapted to steam wheat more uniformly than others of its class, and to almost entirely prevent absorption of water of condensation by the wheat.

The apparatus consists of double conicalended cylinder or vessel having certain peculiarities of construction, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the outer cylindrical vessel, and B the inner cylindrical vessel, which is of less diameter, so as to form an intermediate space or chamber between it and the outer vessel. The outer vessel connects, by a top tube and horizontallysliding cutoff valve, 0, with the stock-hopper, and by a bottom tube and vertically-adjustable discharge-valve, D, with the burr-hopper.

Steam is admitted to the inner vessel B from the boiler by pipes F and G, and thence com-' municated, through perforations or slots (0 of theinner vessel,,to the wheat in its descent through the space formed between the inner and outer vessels. The perforations or slots at are located in the upper part of the interior vessel, the lower part being made solid, with a concave bottom, I), that serves, with the solid lower walls, for collecting the water of condensation and discharging it through an exit-pipe, H, at the lowermost point of the bottom I), to the outside.

The quantity of steam. and the pressure in vessel B are regulated by a globe-valve, (1, arranged in pipe Gr, between the outer vessel and pipe F. A second globe-valve, d, is placed in the steam-discharge pipe F to prevent escape of steam, but allow the water from the condensed steam in pipe F to pass off. A globe-valve, d of the discharge-pipe H serves a similar purpose as that of pipe F.

The interior vessel B is made with a perforated conical top part, whose apex is in line with its descent through the space between the vessels A B, so as to be exposed, for a longer or shorter time, to the action of the steam, according to the nature of the grain. Valve D is made of concave shape, and is held in any vertical adjustment to enlarge or diminish the size of the graindischarge opening by the fiiotion of spring-arms, which press outward against the inner sides of the mouth of vessel A. The slits in the body of the inner cylinder or vessel B are vertical and very narrow. In forming them the metal is punched inward, thus causing a burr or ragged projection around the slit on the inner side of the ves- 'sel. These projections radiate heat more rapidly than the metal forming the concentric portion of the vessel, and serve as points, which will take up the larger part of the easily-condensable moisture of the steam passing out through the slits, and from them the condensed moisture will drip into the concave bottom of the vessel, and thereby escape into the waste-pipe H. t

The first advantageous result in the practical use of the apparatus is, that the wheat, entering the steamer through the narrow opening in the valve 0, is caused to fall upon the apex of the perforated core, and is distributed evenly over it as it passes downward. The wheat .is thus subjected to the uniform and thorough action of the steam, both while passing over the cone and while in contact with the slitted side of vessel B. The next result is, that the easily-condensable moisture of the steam is prevented from entering the space through which the grain passes, and is col lected and conducted off as rapidly as condensed, and the grain is also slightly dried while passing in contact withthe imperforated but heated lower portion of the vessel B, so that, as the final result, the grain is discharged Having thus described my invention, I claim bined as shown and described, for the purpose as new and desire to secure by Letters Patspecified. ent

The improved wheat-steamer composed of JOHN BURKHOLDER' the outer conicalended vessel A, having the Witnesses: centrally-perforated top or slide 0, and the in- JOHN W. HOPKINS, ner vessel B, having the perforated conical JAMES HEADINGTO'N.

from the steamer in the desired and proper top, the imperforate conical bottom, and a; condition for grinding. slitted body, and the pipes Gr and H, all-com; 

